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Starlink Satellite train

Old 18th Nov 2022, 13:13
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https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-del...9-static-fire/

SpaceX delays Starlink launch after Falcon 9 static fire test

Around 10 am Pacific on November 17th, SpaceX test-fired one of its Falcon 9 rockets and announced that its next Starlink launch would follow as early as Friday, November 18th. Seven hours later, SpaceX canceled those plans, stating that it needed “to take a closer look at data” gathered during the test.….

The last time a prelaunch static fire was explicitly blamed for a launch delay was in August 2019, when SpaceX fired up a Falcon 9 rocket ahead of its Amos-17 launch, didn’t like what it saw, decided to replace a valve on the booster, and then conducted a second static fire test
to clear the rocket to launch. It’s possible that Starlink 2-4’s sequence of events will end up being similar.…..

Whenever it does launch, Starlink 2-4 will be SpaceX’s 65th operational Starlink mission, and is scheduled to add another 52 Starlink V1.5 satellites to the constellation’s Group 2 shell. Group 2 is the third largest of five shells that make up SpaceX’s first 4408-satellite Starlink constellation and will have 720 satellites once completed.

SpaceX has nearly finished two main 1584-satellite shells that orbit over Earth’s mid-latitudes. It’s also begun launching one of two smaller shells (Group 3 and 5) that orbit Earth’s poles. Group 2 splits the difference with an orbit inclined 70 degrees relative to Earth’s equator.

According to data collated by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, and assuming that SpaceX intends to have as many satellites in orbit as possible, Group 1 and Group 4 appear to be four or five launches away from completion. Group 3 and 5 require eight more launches. Including Starlink 2-4, Group 2 will take another 13 launches. Barring surprises, SpaceX has approximately 25 launches left to complete its first Starlink constellation.

In the first ten months of 2022, SpaceX launched 32 operational Starlink missions, and its launch cadence has increased throughout the year, boding well for the constellation’s completion by mid-to-late 2023.
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Old 2nd Dec 2022, 05:36
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https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/01/fcc-...atellites.html

FCC authorizes SpaceX to begin deploying up to 7,500 next-generation Starlink satellites
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Old 2nd Dec 2022, 10:12
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Originally Posted by ORAC
https://www.businessinsider.com/spac...ansion-2021-11

SpaceX's Starlink is planning to roll out 200,000 user terminals in India

SpaceX's satellite internet network, Starlink, wants to roll out 200,000 user terminals in India in an effort to expand its service in Asia, according to a company presentation.

Starlink has set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India called Starlink Satellite Communications Private, the company's India director, Sanjay Bhargava, wrote in a LinkedIn post Monday. Bhargava, a former PayPal executive, said in the post that the subsidiary can now apply for licenses and open bank accounts.

The subsidiary has a "stretch goal" to deploy 200,000 Starlink user terminals in more than 160,000 rural districts in India by December 2022, per a company presentation that Bhargava shared on LinkedIn last week…..

Starlink is also in talks with two telecommunications companies in the Philippines, where it also wants to launch its satellite service, Bloomberg first reported on Friday.

There are currently more than 1,650 Starlink satellites in orbit. The company's goal is to have 42,000 by mid-2027 in order to create an internet service which stretches across the world.

Is that so the terminals can be shipped to Russia when no one is looking?
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Old 2nd Dec 2022, 10:54
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Is that so the terminals can be shipped to Russia when no one is looking?
If it was I’m sure the State Department, NSA and CIA would pay for them up front.

Having 200K terminals where the Kremlin has no control over the content, they can b3 turned off at will and, I am sure, they could monitor any internet and mail traffic they wish, would be like all the Christmases come at once….
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Old 15th Mar 2023, 15:12
  #105 (permalink)  
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Looks like they’re going for a full UK rollout of Starlink…

Starlink provides high-speed internet throughout the United Kingdom. Now offering hardware rentals for £15/month with a one-time £99 activation today. Get game changing internet from space 🚀
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https://www.starlink.com/?twclid=2-7...=Twitter%20Ads
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Old 30th Aug 2023, 22:45
  #106 (permalink)  
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What is interesting here is SpaeceX/Starlink breaking into the B2B market where OneWeb, Eutelsat etc expected to dominate whilst they concentrated on selling to the consumer market….

NEWS: Japanese telecom operator KDDI & @SpaceX have announced an agreement to provide satellite cellular service using SpaceX's Starlink & KDDI's wireless spectrum nationwide.

This will enhance KDDI's cellular connectivity to areas beyond the limits of traditional 4G/5G networks
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Old 20th Sep 2023, 22:57
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https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/spa...arlink-dishes/

SpaceX gets FCC approval for two new Starlink dishes

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX’s application to introduce two new Starlink dishes, one of which is smaller and more portable than its predecessors.

The first of these new dishes approved by the FCC measures 11.4 inches by 9.8 inches, approximately the size of an Apple MacBook. With its smaller form factor, it opens the door to an array of possibilities for improved connectivity as the compact size not only simplifies installation but also offers users greater flexibility in choosing where to place it compared to the current dish, which measures 20.2 inches by 11.9 inches.

The second dish is a little larger than the current generation, measuring 22.4 inches by 14.7 inches. The larger size isn’t just for look as it is a high-performance option that outperforms SpaceX’s previous fixed models, reports PC Mag.

Both of these new models are designed to communicate seamlessly with both first- and second-generation Starlink satellites, promising a more reliable and efficient connection for subscribers. Specifics regarding a launch date, official pricing, or potential speed enhancements were not published in the application.

Unfortunately the FCC’s approval only covers the “fixed” or stationary use of these new Starlink dishes. SpaceX had sought approval to also deploy these dishes on vehicles, including cars, planes, and boats. However, the FCC is yet to issue a ruling on this matter due to interference concerns raised by Dish Network.
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Old 31st Dec 2023, 22:31
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Note the coverage bith over Antarctica and the Arctic….

The folks at @Starlink recently updated the map on their website (starlink.com/map) to also show performance data at sea. For comparison, I’ve attached our map displaying the average latency data for the Starlink Flat High Performance terminals sold by my team at @Elcome_Intl.

This data is for the last five weeks. Lighter colors indicate lower latency with the scale (white to dark blue) being from 40-150ms of latency between the Starlink and the PoP (point of preference…where the customer’s traffic connects to the Internet).

Next week we are delivering our 1,000th Starlink Flat High Performance kit…a significant milestone for us as that’s approximately the number of traditional maritime VSATs we installed over the past 20 years.

In December, we have provided our Starlink maritime customers over 600TB of Mobile Priority data which they have consumed at an average aggregate bandwidth of 1.6 Gbps. The average daily traffic was 27GB per day, while the peak single day consumption by a vessel in December was 768GB.

The average network availability was 99.4%, and the peak speeds achieved by any vessel was 361 Mbps download and 111 Mbps upload. Average latency was 77ms and average signal quality was 95%.….


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Old 1st Jan 2024, 11:19
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Old 3rd Jan 2024, 22:05
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View of last night’s @Starlink satellite deployment, including the first six with Direct to Cell capabilities.

​​​​​​​This will allow for mobile phone connectivity anywhere on Earth.

Note, this only supports ~7Mb per beam and the beams are very big, so while this is a great solution for locations with no cellular connectivity, it is not meaningfully competitive with existing terrestrial cellular networks.
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Old 15th Jan 2024, 06:50
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...oadband-offer/

BT in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink for broadband offer

BT is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink over a satellite phone and broadband service that could help tackle the plague of so-called rural not spots. The telecoms giant is testing Starlink equipment at its Adastral Park research centre near Ipswich as it explores ways to deliver connections to hard-to-reach areas.

Mr Musk’s company operates a network of roughly 5,000 satellites,which orbit 350 miles above the earth and beam down signals. BT has been mulling using the network for broadband services, but bosses are also keen to harness the technology to improve mobile signals.

The former telecoms monopoly has previously signed adhoc deals with Mr Musk’s company outside the UK. However, no formal agreement has yet been reached in Britain. Should BT sign a direct to mobile deal with Starlink, it may need to secure a special licence from regulator Ofcom….

Starlink this week conducted its first successful test of the satellites to send and receive text messages with unmodified smartphones.

Talks are currently focused on BT’s business offering, allowing the company to deliver mobile and broadband services to remote sites such as oil rigs and mines. But the technology is also expected to be rolled out to consumers in an effort to plug gaps that traditional cables and masts cannot reach.

The Government has teamed up with mobile operators on a £1bn plan to tackle rural “not spots”. However, the venture has suffered a major setback after The Telegraph last year revealed that Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media O2 have warned the first stage of the plan will be delayed by up to two years.

BT, which has more mobile masts than its rivals and is contributing to phase one separately, is understood to have hit the initial target of covering 88pc of the UK’s landmass six months ahead of schedule.

Satellite technology is growing in popularity as businesses and consumers look for solutions to connectivity issues… around 42,000 UK customers had connected to Starlink’s network at the end of last year, a sharp increase from 13,000 in 2022, according to figures from Ofcom.

Starlink’s hardware, dubbed a “terminal”, can be purchased from around £450, while users pay a monthly charge of £75.

Sources said Mr Musk’s company had been pushing for BT to sell terminals to its customers. However, it is understood the mobile network operator does not want to become a reseller and would rather use satellite technology to improve its own services…..
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Old 14th Feb 2024, 06:05
  #112 (permalink)  
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SpaceX to Deorbit 100 Starlink Satellites Due to Potential Flaw

As a precaution, SpaceX plans on deorbiting 100 first-generation Starlink satellites, citing a potential flaw that could one day cause the satellites to completely fail.

As a result, the satellites will descend toward Earth before disintegrating in the planet’s atmosphere. “Starlink satellites are also fully demisable by design, meaning that the risk to those on the ground, in the air, or at sea from a deorbiting satellite is effectively zero as the satellites burn up during reentry,” SpaceX said on Monday.

The deorbiting will have no impact on Starlink customers, SpaceX says. Even though the network is losing 100 satellites, the network overall has more than 5,400 working satellites.

The company made the announcement while highlighting SpaceX’s “commitment to space sustainability.” Over the years, the satellite network's growing size has attracted scrutiny over potential orbital hazards to other space projects, or even dangerous debris falling to Earth.

However, SpaceX says the Starlink network was designed to prevent itself from becoming a space risk. Each satellite features an “autonomous collision avoidance” system, along with ion thrusters, so that it can maneuver in Earth’s orbit. Atmospheric drag will also cause all Starlink satellites to deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere in five years or less, even if engine maneuverability is lost.

Starlink didn't elaborate on the flaw in these early satellites. It said only that the “Starlink team identified a common issue in this small population of satellites that could increase the probability of failure in the future.”

Although the 100 satellites continue to function, SpaceX decided to deorbit them while it still can, rather than risk losing its ability to do so should a complete failure arise.

“The satellites will follow a safe, circular, and controlled lowering operation that should take approximately six months for most of the vehicles,” the company added. “All satellites will maintain maneuverability and collision avoidance capabilities during the descent.”

SpaceX adds that it’s already deorbited 406 satellites. “Of those, 17 are currently non-maneuverable, passively decaying, but well-tracked to help mitigate collision risk with other active satellites,” the company said. “The other 95% of satellites the Starlink team initiated controlled descent for have already de-orbited.”

SpaceX filings to the FCC has revealed that some of these previously deorbited Starlink satellites were decommissioned due to malfunctions or hardware flaws found in the equipment.
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Old 14th Feb 2024, 09:02
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Oh good, will we all be treated to some predictable upper atmosphere fireworks?
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Old 14th Feb 2024, 10:52
  #114 (permalink)  
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Since you ask.

May, or may not, be coincidental…..

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Old 14th Feb 2024, 18:14
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I was going to give that a like but this part of the forum hasn't yet got the option!

Yeah be good to get a heads up if these things are being managed - of course, even though they are designed to burn up totally, I guess its not impossible that some parts might make it through and dumping them in the ocean is a safer option.
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Old 10th Mar 2024, 15:14
  #116 (permalink)  
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SpaceX says Starlink has "2.6M+ customers" as of March 2024 - +300k in the last 11 weeks and +1.1M subs in the last 44 weeks! Growth has been extremely steady for >2 years, making extrapolation extra easy. If that pace remains steady, Starlink may have >3.5M subs by end of 2024….

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Old 21st Mar 2024, 10:14
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https://www.twz.com/space/if-spacexs...-game-changing

If SpaceX’s Secret Constellation Is What We Think It Is, It’s Game Changing

A constellation of hundreds of sensor-equipped satellites would offer unprecedented strategic and tactical surveillance around the globe.
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